Assigned to Queen Isabel (1271 - 1336), the Divine´s Party arrived to Brazil brought by the colonizers and has been taking place in Paraty since XVIII century. Performed on the Pentecost day (50 days after Easter), the party honors the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. Because of its enormous proportions, involving practically the whole community, the party begins to be organized one year before the date it takes place: chosen by the Parish, a “partyman” administer dozens of volunteers - sometimes more than one for each activity, no matter if it religious or profane.

The party is 11 whole days of masses, litanies, auctions, raffles, bingos, typical drinks, foods and dances, as well as musical concerts. It’s worth to note that the Divine has been keeping, throughout the centuries, the same community, folkloric and religious spirit of the early beginnings. Somes aspects were adapted to local reality, such as the “Folia do Divino” (“Divine´s Merrymaking”) that was supressed: but the party remains unchanged in its basic principles, such as the meat distribuition to the poor, food to the people and candy to the children: and the Portuguese call it Divine’s “vodos”.

The last weekend is the one that requires most work: after dawn, on Saturday, early in the morning, meat is distributed to the poor by the partymen exactly how Dona Isabel did 700 years ago. At noon, food and beverages are distributed to the people. At night, at the “Praça da Matriz” (“Matriz Square”), one teenage boy is crowned the Divine Emperor, who watches the mass with his vassals and, right after, receives honors outside the church, with a presentation of “Dança das Fitas” (“Stripe Dance”), of “Xiba Cateretê”, of “Dança dos Velhos” (“Elder dance”) e of the folkloric dolls of Paraty: the “Boi” (“Ox”), the “Cavalinho” (“Little Horse”), the “Peneirinha”, and the “Miota” - or “Minhota”, originated from Minho, in Portugal.

The Emperor and its court, the partyman and dozens of others devoted people, walk around the city carrying their flags and collecting donations and head to watch the mass. Then, the Emperor watches the “Congada” (Marrá Paiá in Paraty). At the old jail, he frees a prisioner symbolically. The last procession happens at evening, after which the partyman passes the Master Flag to the next year’s partyman.The Emperor chairs his party’s ceremonies by distributing souveniers and medals, freeing from jail an ordinary prisioner, as an imperial indulgence, and receives the honors and usual bows from the local authorities. In the religious part, he chairs the processions and has a seat on the right side of the altar, in a richly ornated throne, flaunting the imperial badges: a silver crown and scepter.